


They're Watching Me

by Rogue_Mariah_Dare



Category: 1x18 - Fandom, Criminal Minds, Somebody's Watching
Genre: 1x18, Somebody's Watching - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2015-01-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3067256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogue_Mariah_Dare/pseuds/Rogue_Mariah_Dare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>~~~~~Criminal Minds: Somebody's Watching: 1x18 (Lila is a replaced by the name Eden in this story)<br/>Eden is getting stalked by a fan and she doesn't know what to do about it, but she does know she should go to the police. What's funny about that is that she runs into Doctor Spencer Reid, a man that she met the same night at an Art Exhibit. When Eden is sent gifts and other affectionate gifts, she gets scared but refused to lay down her life and stop living. Eden is under Spencer's protection and watchful eye while she is at work, and at home. When things get heated between the two of them, one can't help but wonder... How will Eden's stalker take her falling in love with this Spencer, and is Spencer falling in love with her too?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Somebody's watching

**Author's Note:**

> Comment and vote, thank you!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden is getting stalked by a fan and she doesn't know what to do about it but she does know she should go to the police. What's funny about that is that she runs into Doctor Spencer Reid, a man that she met the same night at an Art Exhibit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and kudos, thank you!

Despite my objections I went with my friend, Simone, to a local art museum that was just opening up. I walked into the museum and was met by a few picture snaps, posed and continued on until I saw Parker and kissed him on the cheek.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked him as he pointed off to his side where a man was standing next to another.

Parker’s friend walked up to us and rocked back and forth on his feet. He looked nervous but I didn’t say anything as I took in his appearance. He had deep dark eyes, just like mine and brown hair that fell down and over his eyes. He had a boyish look to him, but it was a look he wore well and one I liked. Dimples framed the outside of his face and skin under his eyes were dark and heavy, symbolizing many nights without sleep.

“Spencer,” Parker said to his friend, who, I have to say, was _very_ attractive, “have you ever met a real life movie star?”

 

“’Movie star’?” I questioned Parker with a cross of my arms. “Please, I’m anything but! I’m a _model_ , Parker, don’t make me out to be some kind of famous celebrity.”

“Honey, you are famous,” he stated and tapped the shoulder of his friend. “Spencer, this is Eden.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” I greeted him politely with a small smile and a firm hand shake.

“H-hi,” he stuttered from being suddenly put on the spot. “Hi. I’m, uh, Doctor Spencer, umm… Reid,” he added like it was an afterthought. He stuttered some more and I smiled wider as he continued, “No, sorry, scratch that. I’m Spencer, you don’t have to call me Doctor Reid. That’s for my superiors and business.” He added quickly, “Not that you _can’t_ , you can if you want, I won’t care what you call me, you can call me whatever you want.” He crinkled his nose embarrassed and looked away.

“I will,” I smiled wider. “Call you Spencer, that is.”

“Who is that?” Simone asked tapping my shoulder but I just shook my head and shrugged.

“Did you come with him?” I asked Dr. Reid.

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“Well, he is looking at you, and you both have these dark circles under your eyes which make me think you’ve been doing something to keep you from sleeping,” I tried to come up with a reasonable excuse but one that didn’t sound too dumb.

“Good, uh, good guess,” he said and watched his friend look at paintings. “He’s Gideon, my boss.”

Flashes from a camera blind my vision for a short second and with a short sigh I hold a finger to Dr. Reid and turned toward the camera quickly to do a couple shots. I smile and place a hand on my strapless leather mini-dress. I was unprepared to go out in public but I just threw on some black leggings and red boots. I grabbed my red leather jacket to tie the whole outfit together and scampered out the door as best as I could.

Parker got a little angry from the camera men taking my picture, but I told him that he shouldn’t worry about it. I was used to it by know.

“Paparazzi are everywhere, Parker,” I whispered quietly, “no need to get upset about it.”

“Still,” he turned away and urged the couple guys out of the gallery. “I told you, you can’t take photos in here! Get! Out!”

I laughed and turned back to Spencer to realize that Simone disappeared to probably talk to Spencer’s boss.

“So,” I struck up a conversation after a couple seconds of silence, “you’re not from around here, are you?”

“N-no, I’m, uh, well, _we’re_ , uh, running a training service about profiling about the Los Angeles Police department,” Spencer’s Adam’s Apple bobbed when he talked and for a second I couldn’t help picture feeling his hmm with my lips pressed against his throat.

“Profiling, really?” I blinked and focused on his words instead of where they are coming from.

At first glance, Dr. Reid had this… dark, youthful, and almost repulsive look to him, but the longer I stared, I got entranced in what he looked like. He was captivating and I was surprised to find that the women weren’t on both of his arms.

“Yeah, I’m with the BAU,” he acted like that solved my questions but it made me have one more.

“The B.A.U?” I questioned, wondering where I’ve heard that title before.

“Behavioral Analyzing Unit of the FBI,” he clarified and I nodded, understanding. Sort of… “Federal Burial of Investigation,” he tacked on at the end after a moment.

“I knew that one,” I unhooked my arms and took a champagne glass off the small platter a waiter was carrying around. I smiled while I took a small sip.

“Right, of course, most people do,” he commented to himself more than me. “Sorry,” he huffed a laugh and I joined him.

“So, what do you do in the BAU?” I asked seeing the excitement in his job that I didn’t have.

“We physco-analyze crime scenes to, uh, gain a better understanding of the, uh, criminal who committed the crime,” he licked his lips and took a deep breath.

“Physco-analyze, huh?” I wondered as his eyes darted around and he bit his lip nervously. I took a wild guess, “Are you doing that to me right now?”

“What?” he asked blunted. I chuckled under my breath when he seemed to panic. “No, I’m not physco-analyzing you right now-“

“Spencer?” I stopped him from further worry. He stopped talking and looked down at me seriously, waiting to see what I was about to say next. “I was kidding,” I smiled as he nodded and forced his lips into a thin line.

We chat for a few more moments about his job at the B.A.U and when he realizes that his colleague stepped out, he becomes worried. “Where’s Gideon?” he asked looking around.

“With Simone,” I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” he grew curious and attentive to his surroundings in a moment’s notice.

“Well, if she wasn’t a Lesbian, she would probably jump every guy’s bones, and she makes an exception every once and a while,” I probably wasn’t making much sense, but the amount of beauty Simone puts off into the world puts me to shame. I wondered why I was a model sometimes, I wasn’t ugly but I wasn’t _beautiful_. I was… Pretty. A simple shrug is indicated after that and a stressful sigh of annoyance, if you didn’t get the message. I had an elegant look to myself that most producers found attractive. Brown hair so dark it looked black, and white pale skin. I had hazel eyes and I wasn’t exactly textbook definition of thin. I had curves but I was sure that was okay, thicker models got paid more, and I was fine with that! Of course, I had flaws, well aware of all of them and still chose to go to the gym only once or twice a month. I wasn’t unfit, I taught self-defense classes every weekend so I did get a good work out but I liked food, what girl doesn’t? What a crime, right?

“If she turned on her ‘I’m irristible’ charm, then your friend is hopeless,” I took a swig of my drink and gulped it down.

“You… You alright? You might want to slow down there, Eden,” Spencer’s voice was laced with concern and I smiled.

“Thank you for the suggestion, but I’ll need something a lot stronger than champagne to get me intoxicated,” I declared with a bright red lipstick smile. “Which I haven’t been for a while now,” I remembered that he was an FBI agent and I wasn’t sure that he couldn’t arrest me for drinking too much. “It’s not like I drink and drive, I’m always the designated driver,” I stated firmly.

“I’m not here to point the finger at you,” he pressed his lips into a thin line again which I took to be a smile.

I set my champagne glass down. “Look at that,” I pointed my finger behind him and walked over to the painting to change the subject. “Wow… That’s incredible. I don’t know how someone does that with their hands.”

He started with a gulp, “It’s quite simple, you see the person-“

I didn’t really know what he was saying in that moment, but I liked to watch his mouth move and I would nod and act like I knew what he was talking about.

I agreed to something in which I had no idea and I tucked a small black hair behind my ear. “With all those thoughts running through your head, Dr. Spencer Reid, does the painting make you feel anything?”

Spencer crossed his arms like I had a while ago, “Like what?”

I huffed a laugh, “I can’t tell you how to feel, Spencer, it all comes from inside you. You have to dig down, past all that rational thought and maybe find a feeling when you look at the painting.”

The painting was blue and green of the sea in some far off land. Just looking at it gave me tingles and sensations.

He smiled, tight lipped, and gazed down at me. “Right now, I feel… pretty good.”

“By looking at me, or the painting?” I questioned with narrowed eyes not sure which one he was talking about. Despite my confidence being normally half empty instead of half full, I was a model nonetheless and had a little taste of being flirtatious.

The Good-O-Doctor became flustered from being put of the spot and started rambling when we were interrupted by a man with a shaved face and soft brown eyes. He was middle-ages (my guess was fifty to sixty) but seemed demanding in which I knew this was Gideon, his boss.

“We’re leaving,” Gideon stated forcefully.

Spencer answered with a polite response, “We’re still looking at the exhibit.”

“Now.” His voice held much authority and I took a wild guess that Spencer wanted to stay to talk but was needing to leave for something important. I wondered if I’d ever see him again. “Now, _now_ ,” he started to walk away and stopped at the door way.

“Oh, uh, yeah, so, I guess we’re leaving, so-“

“Reid!” he shouted which made me tense. I never knew a boss to be so – _“Now!”_

“It was nice to meet you,” he finished while moving hair out of his face and walking toward the door and out into the Las Angels crisp night.

“Same to you,” I quickly commented and watched Spencer rush out the door after almost bumping into another waiter.

 

***

 

I went home after ward, exhausted from the paparazzi photo snaps and the art gallery. I couldn’t stop thinking about that Doctor however.

 _Doctor Spencer Reid… Spencer Reid… Spencer…_ I grinned and put my truck into park. I shut Fire Ball (the name of my truck) off and pulled my house keys from my purse.

I walked up to the front of my stair steps and unlocked the door.

“Toyka!” I yelled and heard his skidding feet running toward me. “There’s my baby boy!” I pet his ears and shamed him for jumping up on me. “What do you have there, Toyka?” I laughed and leaned down to grab the paper from his mouth. I went to the kitchen to feed him and while he was eating I opened the envelope.

Inside the manila envelope was a newspaper with today’s news on it. I unfolded the paper and my eyes scanned the headlines. A girl was murdered in her home and I didn’t see why the envelope was delivered to me until my eyes dropped down to the words written in bold - what I assumed to be blood - and stamped on the paper.

“’You owe me’?” I questioned and looked around my house suddenly feeling like someone was watching me.


	2. A Profile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer gives Eden a quick profile of who is watching her...

I pick up the phone and with shaky fingers I call my manager and tell him what happened. Michael responded a little worried, but thought of it all as a prank. “You just got home and found the note in your dog’s mouth?” he questioned my story but I confirmed it as I locked the door and double checked the windows.

“I should go to the police, right?” It felt like the only reasonable thing to do, after all someone was saying they killed this girl for me and now I owed them? Strange…

“No,” he responded quickly with a sharp tone in his voice. Almost like he sounded panicked or afraid of the police. “I’m sure it’s just a fluke, Eden, and there’s nothing to worry about. “

“Michael!” I yelled, “I got a paper delivered to me with Natalie Bryant’s face on it! This really has me creeped, I mean…” I tried to get my thoughts together and stay calm. “Toyka has a doggy door, but he would’ve attacked a stranger that would have come up to him inside the fence. He’s territorial, that’s what I like about him,” I admitted more to myself than to Michael. That eliminates anyone that I didn’t know. Toyka would’ve attacked if it was a stranger.

Michael sounded angry on the other line but I couldn’t help the frightened feeling inside my gut. “Alright,” he gritted his teeth and caved, “if you think that’s best.”

“I do,” I confirmed. “Are you going to go with me?” I asked shyly, thrusting my feet into the red boots I wore to the exhibit tonight.

“Yeah, sure, why not,” he sounded upset but I couldn’t focus on that right now.

I unlocked my door and called Toyka to my side. “Let’s go, boy,” I opened the passenger door and he gladly jumped up on the seats. The drive to the Police Station was dreadful and long but it was easier with Toyka by my side; I felt safer. I brought the note along just in case and as I drove on the strip, I turned up the stereo. Music always had the effect of keeping me calm in dramatic cases and shifted my mood when I was angry or sad.

When I pulled into the Police Station, I thought it would be better if Toyka stayed in the car, I rolled up the windows but turned on air conditioning for him. I wasn’t afraid that someone was going to steal Fireball, not with Toyka in it. He was protective, big, had a loud bark and mean bite, but still my little baby. I kissed his grey, black and white furred forehead and opened the door. Toyka woofed but I made a silent signal to tell him to stop and that I was alright. I slipped into the Police Station unnoticed by the paparazzi (thankfully) and took a seat by the front doors until my manager, Michael, arrived.

I saw Michael walk through the glass spinning doors and it looked like he hadn’t slept much lately either. I get that Los Angels was a big time city and it was alive almost all the time, Spencer, Gideon, Michael and now me? People needed some sleep!

Michael came in and gave me a quick hug, one I returned. I realized that his arms stayed around me longer than necessary and even though he was like family, I wondered if there was something he wasn’t telling me, possibly something that was thinning him out and worrying him…

 _Well_ , I made the side comment in my head, _besides the note..._

“What are you going to say to them?” I wondered and pulled back, getting straight down to business.

Michael looked worried as he asked a Police officer to point him in the direction of the Captain in charge. We walked down the hall and through a couple corridors and I saw a sign that pointed toward the office in where we needed to go.

“For starters,” Michael began as we rounded and landed in the center of the Police Station where many things were happening and going on. “We’re going to go talk to Captain Fuller and tell him all that’s happened. Then, he’s probably going to ask you a couple questions and you’ll have to answer them.”

I nodded and looked around for an empty chair. “Can you go talk to him first? I… I just need a second to think and gather my thoughts.”

He nodded, “Sure… Wait here, okay?”

 

I did, patiently and put my head in my hands. Flashes of Natalie Bryant’s smile surrounded me and I let time pass me by as my eyes fluttered closed. After my photo shoot and everything that’s happened, I was pretty tired and ready to call it a night. Go home and snuggle up with Toyka and watch some soap operas. Maybe turn on the show _Arrow?_ I’ve missed a lot of episodes and could get caught up.

“Eden?” My head snaps up in the direction where I heard my name and I turn to answer the person who called out to me. He holds up his coffee in a greeting and awkwardly wave. “H… Hi,” it seemed like he was torn between the two terrifying options of saying, ‘Hey,’ and ‘Hi’.

“Hey,” I asked and relaxed my hazel eyes finding his deep dark ones. I stood up and walked over to him, eyeing his partner, a new one I haven’t seen before. “ _Doctor_ Spencer Reid,” I smiled.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” he blurted out and I had a feeling he thought it was the adequate thing to do.

“The pleasure is all mine,” I grinned and he pressed his lips into a fine line once again.

“My name is Derek. Derek Morgan,” Spencer’s partner stuck out his hand and I shook it firmly. “Nice hand shake,” he noted and I smiled.

“My father was in the Military, I know the basics of making a good first impression,” I shrugged with an easy smile at the chocolate man. Derek Morgan was easy on the eyes but I thought that Spencer looked a lot more suitable. Morgan looked bold and brave, a man that would gladly start a fight, but Spencer looked like a man I could trust with secrets and trust to defuse any situation. Spencer had a look in his eyes that made me think I could trust him with a lot of things.

I glanced back to those eyes and stared at him for a while. “What are you doing here?” we both broke the silence at the same time and I blushed. We both tried to speak at the same time once again and we both shut up at once when we realized our mistake.

Spencer let me go first but I caught sight of Michael behind him and said, “I’m sorry, Spence, I gotta go…”

“Wait, Eden,” he caught my hand when I walked past him and I glanced down at the goose bumps rising on my skin. My pulse picked up and I swallowed and tried to focus on anything but him touching me. “What’s the matter?” he asked and I shrugged.

“Nothing I can’t handle, don’t worry about it, Spencer. You have your training session to get to, remember?”

“Well, maybe, uh, I can help,” he corrected himself and remembered that his partner was standing beside him. “Well, _we_ can help?”

I didn’t see the harm in it so I nodded. Spencer dropped my arm and the burn of where his hand was still lingered on my skin. I filled him in on my current situation leaving out that I had a small panic attack.

“You got a newspaper of the girl that died today?” Spencer’s partner, Morgan, asked with curiosity.

Spencer’s eyes lit up with knowledge and I handed the paper to him with a firm nod. “Her name was Natalie Bryant, Morgan, and we’ve just been assigned her case. That’s why we left so suddenly at the art museum, we got a call to come look at the body,” he explained and I shrugged, understanding that jobs are demanding.

Morgan glanced over Spencer’s shoulder and I watched Spencer’s eyes as they scanned the page and took in everything that the article said. It was a one and a half page article and he flipped the page in three seconds and handed it to Morgan who was still roughly on the third paragraph from just skimming it.

“Did you even read it?” I asked with a sly smile as Spencer took a drink of his coffee. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who was tired.

“I have an IQ of 187 and can read 20,000 words a minute,” he stated without hesitation. “I read the article.”

I grinned, and rolled my eyes. “A simple, ‘yes’, would’ve done instead of showing off so much,” I giggled and elbowed his forearm playfully.

Spencer blushed but didn’t say anything else about the matter. “Can I take you to meet the rest of my team?” he asked shyly and I glanced at Michael who was making his way back over to me.

“I’m sure we can have this figured out in no time, Miss, and it won’t take long,” Derek Morgan held a hand out to me and I was hesitant to take it.

“Michael?” I asked and pointed at Morgan and Spencer. “It’s your call,” I said after I told him what had happened in the few minuets he had left.

In the end, I shrugged my agreement and walked with Spencer toward whoever he worked for. From the moment my small and short-lived story escaped Spencer’s symmetrical pale lips, I was bombarded with questions.

“How well did you know Natalie Bryant?” a man, I believed his name to be Hotch, said rather suddenly.

I shrugged weakly and informed him, “We spoke when we saw each other in public, polite to each other, but we were never friends.”

“How about Wallie Mellman?” Gideon, from earlier that night, asked.

“What?” I asked wondering what that had to do with my mysterious note.

“Wallie Mellman?” he asked again. “The producer that was killed a couple months ago?”

“I…” I suddenly felt like I was a suspect and didn’t like that feeling trembling around in my gut. “Everyone said that was a robbery,” I shook my head, “I knew he was murdered.”

“How?” Spencer asked, looking down at me.

I didn’t get the time to answer.

“Did you know him?” Hotch asked, ignoring Spencer’s question.

I took in a deep breath and answered, “We met a few times about a modeling shoot, but I didn’t get the part, they gave it to-“ my thought’s halted and my skin tingled with realization. “Oh, sh-“

“What?” Spencer asked. “What is it?”

“He…” I started but couldn’t finish. Not with this news running around in my head. My thoughts faded out and black and blue spots were in front of my vision.

My manager filled Spencer and the rest of his team in, “He casted Natalie Bryant instead for the shoot.”

“’You owe me’ just made a lot more sense,” Morgan said flopping the paper down in front of me.

I put my head in my hands and scratched at my brain to try and get it thinking again. “That is one way to ice out the competition,” I sniffled feeling invisible blood start to creep onto my hands.

“Well, Miss Archer, have you ever had a sense that someone was watching you, following you?” Gideon asked.

“What part of the day are you asking about?” I rolled my eyes and made sure no tears were in them when I talked. “From the moment I get to work I have hair, make-up and wardrobe staff. Producers, both of my agents, my manager, publicist, there’s photographers and paparazzi; the list really goes on…”

“Has anything happened that’s out of the ordinary?” he asked.

“Umm, besides the note?” I take a moment to stop and try and think rationally. “Repetitive phone calls with hang ups? Gifts left anonymously? Not often, but I do get flowers on the seventh of each month.”

“They just appear in your trailer?” Spencer asked squinting his eyes and I nodded.

“No note, no signature just a plain glass vase,” I looked at each of their faces and tried to decipher what was going on in there.

Spencer leaned forward and put his hands on his knees, “What type of flowers are they?”

“Black and Blue tie dyed roses…” I didn’t know how that was relevant until I added after a second, “They… They’re my favorite.”

“You’ve never wondered who they’re from?” a woman, I think her name was Elle said rather sharply with an attitude.

“Listen, famous celebrities get gifts all the time, it’s nothing new,” Michael said taking a step toward me and rested his hands on the back on my chair.

“Do you ever remember meeting someone on the street that day of the month?” Morgan asked me.

“Or in July, the seventh month of the year?” Spencer offered but I shook my head no.

“Wallie was a producer that considered hiring you – but didn’t and Natalie took your place,” Gideon noted watching my facial expression and I felt helpess.

“And, on top of that, Chole Harries looks a lot like you, don’t you think?” Elle held up a photo of a woman that I had ever seen before.

Spencer shook his head and examined the photo as well. “I don’t see it,” he muttered and I couldn’t help but smile sadly.

“Who?” I asked getting serious again.

“A potential rival, Miss Archer, she was murdered, too,” Elle dropped the picture just mas my mind was exploding from all this painful reality.

“So…” I sniffled and raised my eyebrows, “Let me get this straight: All these people are being killed?” I couldn’t believe it and didn’t want to add the ending notation, but knew I needed to. “Because of me?”

“It’s possible,” Hotch was expressionless and I couldn’t understand how he could be so heartless.

“Okay,” I threw my hands up and walked out of the office, throwing the words, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you, I need to go. Right now, I’m sorry… I just… Have to go,” behind me.

I burst through the doors and onto the street, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching me. I had goose bumps and felt threatened in this big city now more than I ever had before.

“Eden!” Spencer called my name, after running after me. “Eden! Wait, Eden!”

“What do you want, Spencer?” I moaned, whipping away tears so he wouldn’t see. “I can’t handle this, I can’t! I…” I was speechless but I continued to ramble, “I have no _idea_ what is happening besides having a delusional assassin killing people to further my career!”

Spencer nodded, “That’s exactly what’s happening.”

“Great,” I said sarcastically, “that’s… _Fantastic_ …”

“Well, I know you don’t mean that,” he said sympathetic, the first emotion I’ve ever really seen from him.

“You know, I thought I was safe here… Turns out I’m wrong.”

“No, he probably started out as a stalker, a romantic stalker, more specifically. There’s a physco-mythology to the evolution to these types of stalkers and the fact that he’s contacting you indicates that he believes you owe him something,” Spencer’s words somehow had a way of making sense.

 _What in the world would I owe him?_ I wondered.

“This stalker frequently concludes the following,” I tried to listen so I knew what I was in for. “Either the stalker will kill himself or,” his voice faltered, “he will kill the object of his affection.”

“Me?” I guessed and he nodded slowly. “So, he believes that I’m in love with him and that we’re going to run off into the sunset together? Basically, that’s what you’re telling me and if I say ‘No’, then he’s gonna kill me?” My voice cracked and I thought what was worse than that. “Or, worse, more people around me…”

“More or less,” he nodded again. “The fact that he hadn’t made contact with you until yesterday suggests that he was acting more along the lines of a guardian angel. Now, if you do say no, usually the stalker will feel like their love object has betrayed them.”

“Do you know for sure that it’s a guy?” That might narrow it down for me to come up with a suspect list, at least, and in return the cops. “Stalkers can be both male and female, how do you know it’s a guy?”

Spencer shrugged, “It’s a part of my job, I’m supposed to profile things and most likely we’re looking for a male, a loner most likely, in his late twenties to forties. He’s very intelligent and has a lot of time to follow you.” Spencer tried to find a silver lining in all this for me even thought I took it as another black hole, “What’s good about this stalker is that he hasn’t hurt you yet, but he has shifted his view from those around you – to you directly.”

“So anyone that is even in my orbit is a potential target?” I squeaked feeling tears prick at the corner of my eyes. Spencer just nodded once again and I shook my head and turned on my heels to walk back to my car. “You should stay away from me, God forbid that you die, too…”


	3. Emotions locked inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reid starts to notice not only Eden's quick tongue, but a certain vibrant spark in her eyes...

“You could stay with me.” Michael’s request was quickly denied. “A hotel? Just until the Police says your safe!”

“No!” I yelled again. “I’m not going to stop living my life because of that guy, Michael. I just can’t live my life in fear that he’s gonna kill me, I can’t do it! It’s too exhausting,” I gave him a sad grin.

“You know I just do this because I worry about you,” he whimpered with a pout but I stayed strong.

“Goodbye, Michael, I’ll call you later,” I kissed his cheek and sat back down in the makeup artist’s chair.

He left, gloomily and soon two of my friends came up. “Hey, Cindi, Michelle, what’s up?”

“I found this with your name on it,” Cindi said giving me a weird look and handing me an envelope. It felt as light as a piece of paper which told me no heavy object was inside. That was good, so far.

“It was on your trailer door,” Michelle added. “Will I see you after the set?”

“She’s going out with me,” Cindi shook her head. “You’re welcome to come along, though.”

“Thanks, I might do that,” Michelle said and stood around with Cindi. I took a wild guess that they were wanting to know what was inside the envelope but I was the only one that was going to see it.

With everything that was going on, I had no idea what was going to be in the envelope and preferred that I would be the only one to see it. When they got the hint, and turned to leave, I opened the manila envelope and looked inside.

I turned in my chair and looked back at the makeup artist, “Could you please give me a moment?” She pondered and then nodded. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

I looked down at the paper and realized nothing was printed. They wrote this with their own hand and that was at least something to go on. On the yellow plain notebook paper, I read: I’VE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO YOU. WHY WOULD YOU GO TO THE POLICE?

Fear struck me and I froze for a second. I glanced around and winced into the back of my chair. My hands shook the slightest but I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. I pushed myself up off the chair and walked out of the room. The tight black dress was hard to move in but the dress had slits along my leg, torn and crafted cuts down my arms. The dress was as tight as a second skin and I was pretty uncomfortable in it, I wasn’t a stick figure so I was constantly sucking in to make the dress look somewhat good on me. The dress was almost impossible to move in so I was walking rather slowly but I made my way to the nearest officer.

Morgan was beside the front door and I tapped his shoulder.

“Miss Archer?” he asked, looking down at me and glancing the dress I was wearing.

“Please, call me Eden. I…” I didn’t know what to say so I just handed the note over to him. “I need to speak to Spencer.”

“Reid?” he questioned looking up and his gaze locked on my eyes. “Right this way, Eden.”

I do have to say so myself that I kept up with him pretty good, seeing as how I was in seven inch heels and a tighter than tight dress. I saw Spencer outside my trailer leaning on the door with a Coke in hand and glasses covering his eyes.

“Wow,” the words fell from his lips and I blushed. “You, you-“

“Have a note from my stalker,” I smiled tight lipped and Morgan handed it over.

“You… You have a note?” he observed the crumpled piece of paper in his hands.

“Yeah, I just received it,” I gave him the note without a second thought and he read it over carefully. “What are you thinking?” I wondered as I watched Spencer’s eye brows furrow together and there a crinkle on his forehead which tells me that he is thinking about something I probably don’t understand.

“The fact that he wrote this instead of calling you tells us that he isn’t confident enough to talk to you directly yet,” Spencer pointed behind us to the rest of the team that was coming up the road. “Which is good because in order to kill you he needs to be in a room with you. Face to face,” Spencer added like that made me feel better. A part of me did feel better when he said it.

Morgan disappeared and carried the note toward Gideon and Hotch. Spencer and I descended into my trailer and he helped me to a table that I could lean against and rest my aching feet while everyone else piled in.

“Emotion indicators are analyzed by slants in the writing,” Spencer explained. “The stalker has narrow and vertical writing and signs of deep impressions on the paper. The pressure, if you look closely,” Spencer pointed to the paper and I squinted my eyes to try and see, “the pressure is excessively heavy. It shows that your stalker is uptight and can easily over react.”

I glanced up at Spencer the corner of my mouth twitched up in a smile, “You got all that from his handwriting?”

Spencer turned defensive, “Graphology is an efficient proven and reliable source of behavior.”

“Alright, alright,” I surrendered easily, “my writing is always different I wouldn’t understand.”

“No, it’s easy to understand.” Spencer proclaimed. “You’re hand writing changes because it reflects your emotion at that given time. Your facial expressions are parallel to feeling what you’re speaking. Now,” he switched topic, “the fact that he is writing in cursive makes me think that he is a practical person and direct manner.”

I jumped onto his train of thought, “Why would he use the word ‘always’. Is it me or does it sound like he knows me?”

“It’s a steady state of being preceding the adverb,” Gideon walked into my trailer and spoke words in a language I didn’t understand.

“In English,” I said, confused.

“That was English,” Spencer declared looking at me with a grin. “We’re discussing the verb tenses-“

“Reid,” Morgan scolded him. “I think you’re right. It sounds like our stalker is someone she knows,” he agreed.

“Based on what?” Elle asked.

“Guys,” I said softly.

“Based on the tense of the word,” Spencer answered.

“As long as you’re sure, then it’s time we get her off the street,” Morgan stated. “Even though there hasn’t been any physical threats to her, I think it’s best if we are better safe than sorry.”

“GUYS!” I shouted which made them all jump. “I’m standing right here, and I’m twenty-three, which makes me an adult, which means I can make my own decisions!” I didn’t like them talking about me when I was standing in front of him and they all acted like I didn’t have a say-so. “I’m not going anywhere, Spencer.”

His hanged head shook, “Eden I think it’s best if you-“

“Answer me this?” I turned my focus to Spencer, something in my bones told me that he would tell me the truth, forever. “Am I safe here?” I asked peering into his eyes.

Silence fell over us all and I felt eyes on us both. We were both to oblivious to the rest of them, only looking at him, and him me.

 _You should really go into protective custody, it’s what is best…_ Spencer’s eyes told me, but I wanted an answer.

_You’re dodging my question, Spence,_ I rolled my eyes and watched his eyes fall in defeat.

Spencer sighed and it filled the whole trailer. “The, uh, set has been cleared of everyone except essential personnel and I’ve put extra officers around the gate,” Spencer shrugged like he finally realized it was my decision to make.

 _Thank you,_ I said silently to him with my glances.

“Alright then,” I licked my lips. “I’m staying until I finish my shoot. Then, I’ll go home and Dr. Reid can watch and protect me from there.”

“Why me?” Spencer blushed and I felt a little sad he didn’t want to be around me.

“No offense, but I don’t know anyone else as long as I’ve known you and I trust you the most.” I walk to my bedroom in the small trailer and grab my bikini for the next photo shoot.

I figured that they thought they were being quiet, but I overheard them whispering. “She’s one tough girl,” I heard Morgan say to Spencer.

“Yeah… she is,” Spencer agreed with a smile.

“Morgan?” I called to him and walked past Spencer and smiles at both the God looking men. “You’re welcome to become a Big Brother, too, but I really don’t want a whole Calvary looking after me and bombarding my home.”

“A few Police Men can’t be posted outside your door?” he grumbled.

I pouted and thought that I’d be better safe than sorry, and this threat was serious. “Alright, a couple outside my house door, and one for the side, but no more than that, okay? Toyka won’t take well to strangers and I don’t sleep well with people spending the night over in my house, or anywhere near the facility.”

“Dulle noted,” Spencer said looking at me with another thin pressed smile.

“Yes ma’am, whatever keeps you safe and comfortable is what we want as well,” Morgan smiled at me in a reassuring gesture. I nodded and walked out of my trailer, leaving all the guys behind me.

I made my way inside and into my dressing room. I was helped out of my dress and then put into a bathing suit. It was purple and was a two piece. Form fitting and was made to fit around my natural curves. I heard a knock on my door and called for them to come in. Spencer entered the room with a grim and nervous expression and he cleared his throat.

“Sorry, uh, if I was insensitive,” he scratched the back of his head and I gave a weak wave to Morgan who was behind him.

“When?” I asked taking a drink of my water and then setting it on the arm rest of my chair.

“Last night…” A guilty look crossed Spencer’s eyes and I gave a weak grin. “Explaining the whole stalker thing to you. Statistics get to me a little.”

“’A little’?” I laughed. “It’s okay, you’re only doing your job, and I don’t mind anyway… I want to know what’s going on, what I got myself into.” It didn’t take a lot to ask what was happening, I really did want to know. “Please,” I added, “continue to be blunt.”

“My bosses didn’t want to say anything in front of you because they thought it would scare you, but seeing as how the note came across angry and betrayed, it might mean the stalker will get more aggressive… Can you handle that?” he asked furrowing his eyebrows together.

I didn’t know for sure but I told him, “I can handle a lot of things. This too.”

“You don’t seem frightened that he’ll come after you,” Reid pointed out, “why?”

I gave him a half-grin, “I took self-defense as a kid and I take self-defense now. I can handle myself pretty well.” I was confident of that.

“Hmm… I might just practice with you, and see if you’re really can do what you say,” his eyes twinkled and I grinned.

“I’ll take you up on that,” I laughed.

“I didn’t know that you took self-defense,” Spencer mentioned, “but it was a guess I could’ve made.”

“How’s that?” I asked.

“You’re a model and some models,” Reid’s voice dropped to a whisper, “no offense, Eden, not only show their body in front of a camera but on a stage, stripping. Unless you are a stripper, then you are in some active sport and your mind seems sharp and on point about a lot of the information we are giving you. Also, you said that your father was in the Military, most fathers who know the dangers of this world put their children through self-defense to make sure that they can protect themselves if something happens.”

“He didn’t teach me self-defense,” I scoffed almost in a snap. “I taught myself.” There was an awkward silence that fell over us after my snap and I realized that I bit his head off way to hard. “I’m sorry,” I apologized, “I… I didn’t have a very close relationship with my father and would prefer to not think about him and my past life.”

“So you don’t want to talk about it, I assume?” he pressed his lips into a line but it was a sad smile he gave me.

“My father had sever PTSD and when he came back from war…” I trailed off, “From there, our relationship just went downhill. Now, he just brings up bad memories.”

Spencer looked around, his eyes going anywhere except me. “I’m sorry for you loss… You put him in past tense, he’s dead.”

I nodded and confirmed him.

“Eden?” My producer showed up in the middle of the doorway and I turned toward him. “It’s show time.”

I heard the ring of the bell as soon as he turned to leave and suddenly felt parched. My water was a step away, but I knew I needed something stronger than that to ease my pain. I took the drink from Spencer’s hand and put my lips to it. I knew it wasn’t alcohol, but Coke-a-cola would do for now until I could go home and get a real drink. With a small sip, I took a drink and handed it back.

Spencer’s eyes went huge and the seriousness of the emotion cracked and I smiled at him. “You didn’t mind sharing with me did you?” I asked cockily with a smile.

He shook his head fiercely and acted like he wanted to say a lot but he only said, “No… Not at all.”

“Good,” I grinned and took off my bathrobe and set it behind me. I glanced at Spencer in the mirror by my door. His eyes were big in surprise, but his brows were pulled together in examination of my body. Spencer was staring at me with shocked eyes and I didn’t know if he was disappointed, didn’t care, or shocked at what he saw.

Spencer downed a gulp of his drink like it was alcohol and he almost looked pained that it wasn’t. I bit the corner of my lip to stop me from grinning from the almost confused (of all emotions) expressions on Spencer’s face.

“Where do you want me, boss?” I turned my focus to the right where my producer waved me over to him.

While I left, I saw Spencer mutter under his breath in what I thought to be, “Whoa,” but couldn’t be sure. There was noise around me and not to mention my producer now yelling over the background crew and other cast.

“Over here, darlin’!” The producer pointed out onto the set and I glanced over my shoulder to watch Spencer hesitantly turn toward me in another brief stare. “Hustle, little thang,” he said with a thick southern drawl.

“Sure,” I picked up my pace and passed Morgan who was also grinning at me.

He started to walk the few feet to Spencer and I heard him say, “Damn, lover boy!” After a short pause, Morgan _tsk-_ ed his tongue, “You don’t mind sharing with _me_ , do you?”

I stopped in my tracks and turned on my heels to watch Spencer’s reaction which was a cough and a spill of his drink. “Shut up,” he muttered and walked left (which was the wrong way to go) just to turn around and walk right (which was correct).

I blushed and heard my producer yell at me to ‘Hurry your ass up, girl!’ and I complied.

 

 

After my photo shoot I noticed that Morgan had spilt and I asked Spencer about it. He shrugged and said, “He went to track down a lead, that’s all. No need to worry.”

I smiled, “I’m not worried about me.”

His eyes squinted with curiosity, “Then who are you worried about?”

I thought about it as I walked back into my changing room and behind my folding screen. I stripped out of my swim suit and changed into normal clothes for once. A black simple shirt, and light blue jeans that fit. No push up bra, or tight second skins, just clothes that fit and made me feel comfortable.

“I’m worried about his victims, and his targets,” I walked out and got a cloth to wash off my heavy makeup. Mascara poured down and stained my face but I wiped it off quickly and removed my blush and cover-up to reveal high cheekbones and thin lips.

“I’m tired,” I admitted with a sigh, “are you going to take me home?”

Spencer nodded and I led him out toward my car. I gave him directions as he drove me home. Spencer was a good multitasker, he called Gideon on the way over to the house I was renting, listened to me give directions, follow them, give advice, take in orders and carry on small talk with me all at the same time. I was impressed, I could barely listen to the radio, and call and talk to my sister all at the same time. Spencer ended the call as soon as we arrived.

“Is everything okay?” I asked opening the door and stepping out.

Spencer turned off the car and nodded. “Yes, I just need to run through a few security measures with you,” he changed the subject in which I picked up that he was suddenly uncomfortable around me.

“Sounds fine by me,” I smiled and grabbed the keys to unlocked my door.

“I like you house,” he noted as we walked in. He set his brief case on my black leather couch as Toyka came bounding down the steps of upstairs to the front door.

Spencer’s tone told me that he was using that powerful brain of his to construct theories and build plans, “Uh, Eden? You should change your phone number, anytime you call a 1-800 number your phone number is put into a database and kept on record through the tele market.”

“If that is what it takes, sure,” I nodded and sat down on my couch. I watched Spencer’s movements and noticed that he was surveying the area.

“You should also carry a piece of paper and a pen with you, everywhere you go, just in case you see any suspicious license plates,” he looked down at me and I nodded.

I looked past his shoulders over to my collage. Spencer turned and looked at it too. “It’s a photographic collage,” I told him what I already knew. “I like it because it reminds me of life, ‘ya know? Messy, difficult… Challenging to look at, if I stare too long, I get a headache.”

Spencer nodded and cocked his head to the side of the collage to get a better look. Spencer’s haze broke and he rubbed his eyes, “You should also get a do-“

“Dog?” I whistled my lips together as I stood up, “Toyka! Come here boy!” My huge German Shepard and Husky mix came bounding through my home and stopped right in front of me. Pushing and grinding against my legs with his body, I fall back, against Spencer. “Yeah,” I whispered looking into his eyes - sharp and caring, mysterious and sweet. “I got one of those, already,” I blinked and pulled away knowing that this was very inappropriate. “Sweet or caramel?”

“What?” he asked just as dazed as I straightened myself out and walked to the kitchen.

“Would you like some tea?” I fed my dog and warmed up a pot when he agreed to it.

“You know, thinking about it now, we should probably wait to drink that after the lesson I’m going to give you,” Spencer undid his tie and I gave him a queer look.

“What lesson? I’m not one of your students, you know,” I poured the water into plain cups, nothing special about them and waited as Spencer changed his mind about the tea.

“I… Yes, I, uh, realize that, but I want to make sure that you can handle yourself if I am called away and a police man is posted just outside,” Spencer became flustered and I nodded.

“Alright,” I set my water down. “This way, the training room is next to my bedroom.”

Spencer made a face, “Your… Your bedroom?”

I grinned, “That’s what you picked up from that sentence?” I laughed and hooked my arm through the one tucked in his pocket. “March, Dr. Reid.”

“Yeah,” Spencer said, “’Spencer’ is what my mother calls me, you can call me Reid is you want,” Spencer pushed his lips into a thin line again in attempt to a smile.

I smiled and nodded, “I’ll do that.”

He grew concerned, “You’ll call me ‘Spencer’ or ‘Reid’?”

I scoffed, “I’ll call you whatever comes out of my mouth, Walking Dictionary, God All Knowing, Angel with Brown Eyes, and Smartass might be in my top five though.”

Reid laughed and relaxed, “Oh boy…”

“Is that all you have to say?” My mouth dropped open in utter shock. “Have I, Eden Archer, rendered the mighty God All Knowing, Spencer Reid, _speechless_?”

Reid smiled, not a thin line and trying to hide emotions, a full dazzling smile of happiness.

“I like your smile,” I noted pulling him to a halt to examine it further. I thoughtlessly touched the corner of his mouth where the smile took root. His grin dropped and his eyes fluttered closed at the contact of my skin. He leaned into my touch and his mouth parted, a warm sigh escaped his lips and then his eyes flashed open.

Before he could say anything, I played it off. “You should smile more often,” I turned my back to him and walked toward the training room. “You’re eyes look deeper, and they become less knowledgeable, but more wise. It’s a look not many people have.”

“Eden, uh-“

“Let’s go train, I’ll show you how to kick some ass,” I smiled back at him even though I’m pretty sure that it didn’t reach my eyes.

“That’ll be the day,” he laughed weakly, the smile back in a tight line, Reid’s feelings all locked up inside once again.

Maybe I should have my emotions locked up tight, too.


	4. Self-defense lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer shows Eden a few cool moves...

“Pick your weapon of choice, Dr. Spencer Reid.” I requested. I usually picked a bow and arrow for long _and_ close distance, but since we were training and I would need to be gentle, I picked two plastic Sai knives.

“Weapons?” he asked. “I was talking about target practice and hand-to-hand combat,” he undid his tie and unbuttoned his dress shirt. I couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at his sculpted muscles. The strong muscles tightened and stretched and flexed in his back as he shrugged out of his shirt and threw it aside. My lips parted in utter wonder as I stared at the plain define pattern on his skin, there was no four, six, or eight pack, only a flat stomach. I found it enchanting that he used his mind as his first weapon than his fists.

“I…” I was speechless at his beauty, his hair was tied back into a pony tail, which, I did have to admit, looked _ **adorable**_. “We…”

Spencer gave me another lose grin, lips in a fine line. “We should get started,” Reid said taking his hands out of his pockets and walking over to me.

“Yeah,” I tried to become serious, “we should…” I stripped out of my jeans and threw on sweats to train with easier. Spencer wrapped his long lean fingers around a plastic boe` staff and I flipped the knives around on my fingers. “Okay,” I offered, “if you spare with me now, I’ll do target practice with you after, what about that?”

Spencer nodded and turned the staff over his hands easily. “You ready?”

“All set,” I confirmed as he charged at me.

His hands were a little more than shoulder width apart on the staff and he takes an even stance. The bar in Spencer’s hands swiped out toward me but I ducked and blocked easily.

“What if I hurt you?” I asked suddenly worried, and froze all positions.

“I can take it,” Spencer smiled and I smiled in return. “We both just need to be careful.”

I nodded and tried to relax. Through all my training, I still was cautionate at what I was doing and what moves I made. My knives snapped out at Spencer’s sudden movements and I used the knife in my other hand to press onto the staff and jerked it forward, out of his grip. The staff falls from one of Spencer’s hands but he pulls the staff back around and I bend over backward to make sure it doesn’t hit me. I pivot on my foot so I’m facing him again and try and strike without doing serious damage.

Spencer was thin and had an ectomorph body build but that didn’t mean he wasn’t skilled. Spencer was fast, almost as fast as a blur and it was tiring me out trying to keep up with him. Spencer and I spar for about fifteen more minutes before I see his staff going one direction. I followed it instead of his one, strong, fast paced foot swiping down onto the floor and knocking my feet from under me.

Spencer climbs on top of me before I can move and pins my arms above my head.

“And that,” he said, “is how you stay alive, Miss Archer.”

I laughed and scooted down so my legs could wrap around his waist and roll him over so I was on top.

“You’re right,” I laughed with a pant, “this is how you stay alive. By being on top.” I take the sai knife from my hand and tap it against his throat. “You di-“ Spencer’s hand swipes my hand away and flips me over again onto my back. I let out a soft groan and feel the knife tap against my own neck.

“Were you gonna say that I die?” Spencer smiles down at me and tucks a few spare pieces of hair over my ear.

I shrug under his body, “What I the world makes you think that?” He laughed and I couldn’t help but do the same. I felt him relaxed slightly which made me smile. I loved his laugh, it was music to my ears to hear him. I blushed and squirmed lightly under him.

“So…” I asked slowly, “Do you have any other moves you want to demonstrate on me?”

His eyes narrowed and it looked like he was debating what way to take my comment. I could feel his heat against my body, my pulse beating so strong and hard that I was pretty sure he could hear it. I was pretty sure that a deaf guy could hear it…

An endorphins rush started to kick in and I got even sweatier than from the workout. Spencer’s breathing speeds as well as my own and I look up from under my lashes.

“Umm… I should get off you,” he muttered and peeled himself away from me. “I need to know if you know how to swipe away a gun or a knife that might be directed toward you,” Spencer cleared his throat and his eyes batted around the room as he helped me to my feet.

“Okay,” I pointed to the bag on the table in the middle of the room and got down on my knees.

“Show me what you got,” Spencer pointed the fake gun at my head and I nodded.

“Alright,” I put my hands on top of my head and nod, easily. I move my head out of the way and move the gun away from me also. I twist the gun from his hands until I have it and back away to the edge of the room. We practice a few more maneuvers, from the front and back, me standing up and me on my knees with both a gun and a knife.

“How’s that?” I panted afterward with a smile dangling from my lips along with a little spilled water from my canteen.

“Good, very good,” he licked his lips and bit the bottom lustful one. Spencer walked over to where his clothes were and I watched him button up his shirt and tie his tie.

“You look very good,” I bite my own lip in return and mumble to myself trying to pry my eyes from the best kind of view.

Spencer turned back to me, and asked, “What was that?”

I paled when I didn’t think that he heard me. “What was _what?”_

“What did you say?” he wondered with a hint of a smile on his eyes.

I shrugged and shook my head, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, you did, I heard you,” Spencer smiled and I couldn’t do anything but bite my lip in return.

“Well, if you did hear what I said, repeat it back to me,” I wiggled my eyebrows and smiled.

“So, you _did_ say something?” Spencer took a step toward me and I took a stumbled step back.

“No…” I moaned and he gives me a strange look. “Yes? No,” I said, confident but he shook his head. “Yes, I said something but it wasn’t important.”

“Then what was it?” he asked curiously.

“Why is it so important to you?” I fired back coyly. “You know you shouldn’t get dressed, you’re sweating and should probably take a shower.”

Spencer shook his head, “No… I’m okay, I’ll be fine.”

I shrugged, “Suit yourself.” I go and change into a swim suit so I can go cool off and still have a cool down after my workout.

When I came back out, I realized that Spencer’s arms were crossed and he was examining the collage that I had received from my friend, the same one that he was looking at earlier.

“Feeling anything yet?” I asked with a curious gaze.

“There is something definitely,” he seemed to search for the word, “ _appealing_ about this one.”

His eyes darted to me and I looked back at him. I could tell he was telling the truth so I huffed a laugh, “Well… that’s a start at least.”

I turned on my heels and walked out to the back door, passed Toyka who was lying on his big brown fluffy bed and out toward the pool. Spencer turned followed me out after eyeing the purple suit I was wearing earlier. “Eden, what are you doing?” he asked.

“What does it look like?” I squinted my eyes and continued to back my way toward the pool’s cool water. “I’m gonna go for a swim,” I stated and heard the swish and the sway of the water.

I spun toward the water and left my hair fall loose from the pony tail.

“What! No, Eden-“

But, it was already too late, I had met the water with a swift clean dive and was already being submerged below the H20 and chlorine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and vote, thanks!


	5. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Eden kiss and even though Spencer objects and tried to rejects his affections, he listens to his heart and picks up on one thing: That Eden profiled him.

I pump my legs through the water and my arms push me to the service. “Whoa!” I whispered wiping water out of my eyes. “So much better!” The cool water rushed over my body, the sweat that was on me washed off.

“Eden!” Spencer walked out to the pool where I was swimming. “No, Eden, you… You cannot do this!” He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and I thought the gesture was adorable.

“I just did!” I laughed and smiled up at him. “Five minutes, Spencer, please? Go get a suit,” I suggested. “Or,” I offered, “strip down. I don’t really care,” I smiled mischievously with a laugh.

“What!” Spencer looked nervous and out raged by my joke. “No! I-I am not stripping down and joining you for a swim! Are you kidding me? No!”

“Come on, Doctor,” I groaned, “live a little!”

“I _am_ living,” he justified using his hands to talk the slightest bit, “but I’ve only known you for 48 hours and I feel like I’ve aged ten years!” His words stung a little but I thought that he was being sarcastic, “I’m not going to join you!”

“I’m not that bad,” I claimed but it was more like a question.

“You are,” Spencer stated watching the water. I could tell he was torn between following protocol and jumping in with me. “You really, really are that bad,” he looked around the area to make sure no one was watching us. Spencer Reid was still worried about my safety and I found that honorable.

“You’re loss!” I declared and started to do laps.

“It’s not, really…”  I put my head under the water while swimming over to him. “It is so my loss…” I just about died laughing when I heard him mumble this from the water. “You’re being stalked by a psychotic killer that shoots people in the head,” Spencer rolled his eyes at me as I pushed back my own hair. “You need to get out of the pool!”

I moaned and rolled my shoulders back. “You’re not gonna let this go are you?” I asked as he shook his head firmly. “Fine, can you help me out at least?” I swam over to the edge and I offered him my head.

He narrowed his eyes at me and locked his jaw. He offered me his hand and I grabbed my forearm and instead of being pulled up by Spencer, I pulled Spencer down to me.

Spencer gets thrown into the water off to the side of me and I shot up quickly so I could see his expression. I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt and I was having difficulties keeping my head above the water.

“Yes, very funny, laugh it up, Eden, thanks…” Spencer moves his hair over his head and ducks backward to settle it into place. “It’s hilarious because now my gun is wet,” Spencer swam to the edge of the pool and unclasped the gun from his hip. “Along with my clothes,” he muttered with a short laugh himself.

Soon, our giggles were combined in unison. “I told you to get a suit!” I panted in between breaths of laughter and followed him over to the edge of the pool.

“Well, I didn’t want to go swimming,” he rolled his eyes but a smile was on his lips. I tugged on Spencer’s tie and pulled him close to study his dark eyes that held so many emotions that he so rarely showed.

“You sure about that?” I creased my eye brows together and dared him to answer me with the truth. If he said ‘yes’ then that was it, I’d apologize and remove myself from the pool.

Silence fell over us both and Spencer just stared at me, as if he wondered if he debating whether or not to tell me the truth. “No,” he whispered, “no, I’m not sure about that.”

I tugged his tie a little harder and as our faces became inches apart. I touched his soft sculpted face with my soaked hand and cupped his cheek. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and pulled him closer to me. I noticed in that second that his expensive cologne smelled like a bonfire, and I didn’t mind that smell at all.

His lips were soft and the ache in my chest that I never knew I had was released at the soft and gentle contact of his lips on mine. Spencer’s reaction in kissing me back was imminent, like he had been holding back the urge to kiss me all day.

“This isn’t appropriate,” he testified, more to himself than me, and broke the kiss like his thoughts started racing again instead of his heart. His hands were on my waist, pulling me close, too, and I liked the feel of his hands wrapped around me. I knew they were skilled and did a lot of important things like put bad people away, but there was also patience and love in his hands. Responsibility and not only smarts, but wisdom in his hands.

“No, it’s not appropriate,” I agreed in a tease as I pulled him back to my mouth for another kiss. I’ve been kissed before by boys, but nothing like this, not someone like Spencer. Fireworks weren’t going off like I read about in books, it was more like a small tingly burn. It raced through me at the feel of his lips on my skin.

He was kissing me back, so I did know that I wasn’t out of line and my feelings weren’t one way. I knew they were returned so when he protested with a simple but pleading, “Eden, really…” and took his hands off my waist in attempt to look like I was the only one that was latching on, I knew that right now might not be the time or place. The likely hood of ever seeing Spencer again after my Stalker is caught, was slim!

I wanted a moment of heated clarity, was that so bad?

“Really, Spencer? Does this feel so horrible?” I whisper kissed his lips and ran my hand over his hair. I tangled my hands in his locks to secure myself better, he was walking forward, pushing toward me and in the water it was getting a little harder to stand steady. Spencer walked through my legs and his hands raced up my thigh to attach my knee to his hip.

I pulled my face back to get his answer, if Spencer looked me in the eye and told me to stop, then I would. Right now, I just thought that he was torn. I was his charge and he was supposed to be up tight and business like, _not_ kissing me in the pool. But he was, and it was the best thing to happen to me for a while.

His eyes were fluttered closed and when he didn’t answer, I proceeded the slightest bit. “Or this?” I asked pushing kisses onto his jaw bone. “Or this?” I sucked on his pulse point and I heard a struggled gasp of air come from his mouth.

“No,” Spencer panted slightly. “But,” he pulled back, “uh, there’s this things called transference and I’m a federal agent, and I’m supposed to protect you, not… Not kiss you,” he pouted and I felt like he thought he had dishonored his badge all of a sudden. “And,” he added, “I’m just a little worried since we are in a pool... And we are exposed and-“

“ _I’m_ exposed,” I disagreed and snapped the strap of my bathing suit against my skin showing how I was only wearing two articles of clothing. “You’re in drenched clothes,” my finger wrapped around his tie and he nodded. “Hey, that rhymed,” I noticed with small laugh.

“Yes,” he nodded and pursed his lips, “that did. I’m a federal agent, Eden, and I’m supposed to protect you,” he repeated and I nodded, I understood that.

“Then keep me close,” I pressed the bridge of my nose against his and my smooth lips traced his. “There are cops posted out front, Spencer, and there is a trained dog to hunt and kill people - if necessary,” I interjected quickly for safe measure, “five feet away.”

“Actually, it’s sixteen,” Spencer didn’t even look back to double check if he was right but I trusted his judgment. “Approximately sixteen point two,” Spencer added almost as though I would scold him for not being so exact.

“Spencer,” I rolled my eyes, “that’s your problem.”

“Excuse me?” he asked and went to move away but tugged on his tie so he would stay put.

“It’s not that you spit out facts, that’s cute and I learn something almost every time you open that entrancing mouth of yours,” I grin at his blush. “It’s that you think too much, you don’t _feel_. The painting inside was a perfect example, it sparks something in you and you’re hesitant to put words to that feeling.”

“I don’t understand,” Spencer’s eye brows drew together but I straightened them out with a crease of my thumb.

“A woman knows when she’s in danger,” I admitted, “they know when a man is wrong and to lose their number. I think it’s called a gut feeling, and guys are hesitant to use that… That… That…”

“Endocrine hormone?” Spencer tried to guess my words and I squinted my eyes at him.

“Yeah, I hope you know what that means but with that term I’m lost,” he smiled and nodded for me to continue. “Guys are hesitant to use that feeling and I think a lot of them think it’ll make them look weak. Now, notice that most guys will comment on certain things, but I think that you’re afraid of that.”

“How?” he asked.

“You’re a genius, Spencer, and I think some guys would’ve been jealous and a lot of things happened in your past to make you feel like you need to close up. You cloak your feelings knowledge and humor and hope that you can distance your self from most people,” I shook my head. “You don’t need to do that, I think showing your feelings, even the bad and sad ones are just as important as seeing beauty in a collage or cracking a smile when you’re happy. You don’t smile often.”

“Yes, I do,” he scrunched his face together and I shook my head.

“You just press your lips into this thin line, Spencer, that’s not what I call a smile,” I mimicked how he looked when he so-called ‘smiled’ and he chuckled.

“Are you profiling me?” he asked and squinted his eyes.

 _Oh, crap,_ I thought. “No,” I smiled and hoped that it looked convincing. “I am just observant,” I shrugged as I thought, Old habits die hard.

“So, basically, you’re telling me that I need to tell you how you feel?” Spencer looked doubtful.

“No,” I said, “I’m just saying you need to realize how you feel. And then, if you want, to act on those feelings.”

I removed myself from him and swam toward the edge of the pool. I was hopping out when I felt his hands on my waist and he pulled me back into the water.

As I popped back out of the water for air, I looked at him with a queer expression as he inched towards me and opened my mouth with his.

I pulled back for a moment and moaned into his mouth, “I’m gonna take that as ‘You know what you’re feeling’?”

“Definitely,” he confirmed and pressed his mouth back to mine eaggerly.


	6. Digging into the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden feels betrayed by Spencer, who is with holding information from her. She figures that if Spencer won't tell her what's going on, she'll follow the paths of her past and find out for herself, except it doesn't go her way....

Reid hummed into my mouth, his touch setting me on fire. Without words we seemed to know what each other wanted. I tugged up Reid’s shirt and as much as I didn't want to break our embrace, I pushed him back enough to allow me pull Reid’s shirt over his head.

I put my two hands on Reid’s chest, caressing it gently, a perfect smile on my face. I bit lightly on his lower lip and Reid’s tongue wrapped around my own. Reid pushed me slightly so that my back was against the wall of the pool. Reid’s mouth moved to my neck and a throaty moan escape my lips. Reid moved his lips to my shoulder, I rub small circles on the back of his neck, doing something with my has made the dizziness of his kisses more sober.

Between Spender’s lips, the dizziness in my head, the pools water swishing and rushing all around me, I’m surprised when I heard the snap of a camera. Spencer pulled back and spun around toward where the sounds of the  _cheal-cheal_ , was coming from in the same directions as the bright flashes and the metal against metal.

I saw a black male pull handcuffs from his back and noticed him to be Morgan. “Let’s go,” he handed off the criminal to a cop and grabbed the camera from the paparazzi.

I jumped out of the pool and watched the reporter walk past me.

“Can you give me a quote on your feelings about the murder of your manager?” he asked while walking past me.

I smiled ghostly, “What?”

“Get him out of here, now!” Reid followed me out and shoved the reporter toward the direction of the cop cars out front.

“No,” I hissed and took a step forward. “No, what about Micheal?”

“His body was found in his apartment today around noon, do you have a statement on how you feel? Do you know who committed the crime? Do you have any leads, officer?”

“I’m an FBI Agent, not a cop, first of all, and second of all,  _move_ ; now!” Reid pointed toward the front door as realization clicked in for me.

“Michael… Michael… Michael’s dead?” I turned away from the annoying reporter and faced Spencer. “You knew?” I asked narrowing my eyes. “You knew and you didn’t tell me!”

“Eden, I wanted to, I really, really, did, but-“

“’But’? He’s been dead since noon, don’t tell me you wanted to find the right time to tell me!” I stormed away, passed Morgan on my way out and he touched my shoulder.

I shoved his hand off, seeing red in my eyes and blood curling anger.  _Another one dead, because of me…_

Derek quietly whispered, “He did want to tell you, I swear, Miss Archer, but he was under orders.”

“I know! I’m under orders, Morgan, but I would have told someone if another dead body had turned up,” I choked up and tears spooled out of my eyes. “You’ve both survived the area and I do believe that the FBI B.A.U can only come into an investigation if invited. Expect to be uninvited in a few hours.”

“You would really do that?” Reid squinted his eyes.

“You have no idea what I have…” I correct myself quickly, “would do. You have no idea what I would do.”

“With all due respect, Miss Archer, you’re a model. If you want revenge how do expect to do that all by your lonesome,” Morgan asked with a questioning look.

Crap, I thought, caught again…

“Fine,” I muttered, “finish the case but you know the way to the front door, please lock it on your way out.” I took a deep breath and pushed them away, pushed him away and walked through the back door, “Don’t let it slam behind you when you leave.”

“What are saying?” Spencer grabbed his gun and walked towards me.

I turned back around to look at him, “For a genius, I’d think you would have figured it out by now. The police, FBI, BAU, British Army, Government, Military, Doctors, Stalkers, and everyone living and breathing thing is no longer allowed in my home… I don’t care who you people are with, you’re not welcome here anymore.”

I turned on my heels and made kissing noises for Toyka to come. “Come here boy,” I bent down and rubbed his ears.

“Is that really nessicarry?” Spencer asked taking a step forward.

“Did you not hear that part of Toyka being trained to kill people if need be?” Spencer stopped moving and I grinned. “I’m gonna be fine, now, if you need anything, please, don’t call; figure it out yourself.”

I called Toyka inside, closed, locked the door and released the curtains to cover the windows. I imagined Michael’s dead, cold body and I didn’t try and hide the tears. I let them fall over my face as I hit the floor full-fledged.

“I...” I heard Spencer stutter outside the door, “I fell into the pool, that’s all.”

“Yeah, sure, lover, there's plenty of photos of that,” Morgan laughed and tried to make the situation light but I could deal with that. I couldn’t when the feeling in my stomach was making me throw up. I couldn’t stay upright, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. Michael was like family, the only one that hadn’t let me down. My father, my mother, my uncle, his wife… Well, I guess my sister hasn’t, but… If Michael was targeted, then it wasn’t long before my sister was targeted, too.

Anger filled my vision and Toyka rubbed up against my face in comfort. I ran my fingers through his mane but pushed myself to my feet. I had a plan already laid out and was beginning to put it into motion before I even entered the bathroom to take my shower.

I cleaned my body and of chlorine and stepped out, died my body and wrapped myself in a towel. I walked across the hall to my bedroom and started to get dressed. If I was going to do this, I would need my resources back, and those resources weren’t at the Police station.

With hesitant hands, I went to the back of my closet and found the breaks in the wall that outlined my hidden space. The hidden room. I rented this house, that was true, but I wasn’t planning on moving out anytime soon and I had rented this place for an about six months now.

Some clothes were hidden, things of my past, weapons, rations, passports and a few other things. My past isn’t clean, it was dirty and muddy and filthy, but it was in the past and I wanted that to stay that way. But, from the experiences in my past, I should have made the connections sooner. This wasn’t a romantic stalker; it was an apologetic one… A murder. A rapist. An abuser. A drinker.

I reached for my past clothes and gathered them in my hands. I shed the towel and got dressed in the revealing clothes. I don’t know what it is, but apparently, lately, I just was wearing skimpy things.

The dress that I had on for my shoot was a lot like the shirt I was wearing now. There were purposely rips in the shirt that ran down my chest and onto my stomach. The slits stop just above my belly button and I slipped on some leather pants.

“Whoo, girl, you got this, just breathe,” I exhaled and inhaled and tried to control my breathing as I grabbed the belt. “Remember how to play the game, you’ll win in no time,” I swallowed and slipped on the boots that had the hidden poker knife engraved into the ball of the shoe. The belt buckle on my hips (if you pulled the buckle) was actually a knife.

I figured that there was cops outside my door still and when I slipped through the hidden room I grabbed a leather zip up jacket and threw it around my shoulders. I tied my hair up into a bun and wondered how I would get out past the prison guards without being seen. If Spencer was still here, he would be worried for my safety, but I wasn’t thinking of myself.

If it was an apologetic stalker, then he would go after my sister and when she fought back from surprise and fear, I didn’t know what he would do next. He wouldn’t hurt her on purpose, but he would if he felt threatened, just like he had in the past.

I go to my work out room and grab the real weapons. I grab a small cross bow that would fit into my purse. It wouldn’t fire anything serious (it had to be the smallest crossbow ever) maybe a very thin, small arrow that would be fired onto the throat? I had never used it before but there’s a first time for everything.

I tucked the lip stick knife into my pocket and made sure that I grabbed my pepper spray and tazer. I knew that those things would be alright to go into the Strip Club with, but the other hidden weapons? No way… That’s why they were “hidden”.

I clear my throat and step out of the doors to see most of the blue and red head lights cleared. I lock my door and walked toward my vehicle, I started it up and shifted the gear into reverse.

As I started toward my old job, I realized one thing: Why kill Michael? Michael didn’t do anything to me, so why did Julian kill him?

These questions went unanswered as I shut off the car and stepped out. I heard the dirty dancing music and hesitated when I walked through the door.

“Hey, Eden, I thought you walked out on us? Didn’t want your image being damaged and all?” the bouncer, Ray, greeted me when I walked through the door.

“I thought that you liked to watch me dance?” I fired back, just as easily.

“I do,” he admitted with a devious grin on his cracked lips.

“Then why are you complaining?” I demanded to know and walked toward him, stripping off my jacket and sucking in my stomach to the point of no return.  _Girlfriend, you dropped this job for a reason,_  I thought.  _Why do you have to go back to it!?_

“Because it’s a little bit out of character for you,” he noted, suspiciously.

I walked over to the bar and hoped up on one of the stools. I leaned over and grabbed his blue and twirled in my fingers. “What’s really out of character for me is if we go back into the back room and we make a little bit more than music, and afterwards you give me some answers, how about that?” I smiled and tugged on his tie to bring him closer to me even though I really wanted him as far away as I could.

He huffed a laugh and expelled smoke into my face. I almost gagged but didn’t, knowing that if I did, the deal would be off.

“What do you want in trade?” he silently agreed to my terms.

“I told you," I swallowed and kept my edge. "Answers.”

“About what?” his hands wrapped around my own and I tensed.

 _This is a part of the job,_  I thought, it has been for a while…  _Undercover means not only acting but becoming the part…_

"How about the-"

“How about taking your hands of the lady, and putting your hands in the air where I can see them?” a deep dark voice made _him_ freeze but made _me_ turn around.

 _“Morgan?”_ I shouted, surprised past all belief.


End file.
